


Shadow-Hell's Kitchen

by TravelingSpirit



Series: Tales of a Shadow [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Marvel Cinematic Universe Fusion, Artists, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Ass-Kicking, Blue Eyes, Brazil, Brothers, Cool sunglasses, Crime Fighting, Daredevil (TV) Spoilers, Exorcisms, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Guns, I Don't Even Know, Is someone going to read this?, Magic, Magic-Users, Magical Artifacts, Magical Tattoos, Magical symbols, Major Original Character(s), Martial Arts, Masks, Matt Murdock Needs a Hug, Matt Murdock is a terrible friend, Matt gets some help, Mention of Death, Mentions of Cancer, Minor Original Character(s), My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Neo-Paganism, Original Character-centric, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person Omniscient, Partnership, Platonic Relationships, Protective Siblings, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Roses, Runes, Shadow-Original Character, Sisterhood, Supernatural Elements, Symbols, Teamwork, Unrequited Crush, english is not my first language, high school friends - Freeform, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:19:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TravelingSpirit/pseuds/TravelingSpirit
Summary: What if our beloved (or maybe not) Daredevil had help in his fight against the Russians and Frisk during the first season? Maybe, things would have turned out very differently in the end, right?This is the story of the partnership Shadow-Devil, of the friendship between Daredevil/Matt Murdock and Shadow/Sara Campos de Oliveira and, also, how guidance can change one’s life.“Who are you? How did you get in here?”“Relax, Murdock, I’ve only come to talk.”He pins her to the closest wall, holding her by her coat collar.“What did you do to Sara? Your heartbeats are the same, but your voice is completely different form hers!”“If you let me go, we can sit and I’ll explain everything, Murdock.”…“Why did you save me?”“No one deserves to die in such way.”...Ps: This is my first Marvel fanfic, I do not own most of the characters (only Shadow) and English is not my mother language (it’s Brazilian Portuguese). So feel free to correct my grammar and spelling mistakes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo...  
> I'm a bit nervous...  
> First fanfic in English...  
> I don't really remember what happens in the first season...  
> Original character aren't really appealing...
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Is someone really going to read this?
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway...  
> Bold is for flashback and Italic of for translation
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you like it!

It was a dark night. A New Moon night. Almost no stars shone in the sky above, thanks to the light pollution of the city.

It was the perfect night for the dark and small figure located on the rooftop of a closed store. Said figure was wearing a long black coat, black boots that reached the knees, a black hood that casted heavy shadows in the face and black leather gloves. In the gloved hands was a sniper kind of gun, all black and with no shine. The weapon was as stealth as it wielder.

The figure was a shadow in the night. A powerful, skilled and focused Shadow.  
She was aiming at a broken window of a abandoned building, where black fog was emerging. But said fog could not be seen by normal human’s eyes. The dark mist was also a sign of a prohibited black magic ritual, only something as evil and powerful could make such an ominous signature. The Shadow sighed, why did people still tried to control something not even gods could tame?

She carefully adjusted her aim, preparing to shoot exactly in the heart of the spell: a cursed jewel.  
As always, no sound came from the shot, only a hint on movement from the projectile coming out of the barrel. A clean execution.

Inhuman sounds came out of the building when the jewel was hit and broken. Fortunately, no normal human would hear that and wake up. Shadow had one more job to do and didn’t want to be seen, as always. Discretion and stealth were her mantras.

“Now”, she thought “it’s time to clean the miasma.”

The small woman got down from the rooftop and started to walk towards the dark smoke, clearing the air while entering the place.

When inside, she breathed deeply, cleaning her mind, and made a fan appear in her right hand. There was no music playing, but Shadow seemed to be dancing gracefully in the lobby of the abandoned hotel.

For the ones who could see the True Reality, she was creating a light blue wind, cleaning the heavy dark air around the place. The fan was actually spreading the magical effect of the ankhs, “wunjo”s and “dagaze”s drawn in her fan. As the seconds passed, the evil energy was getting thinner and thinner until it was completely gone.

When the woman she was done with the purification, Shadow permitted a moment to herself. Taking in the harmonized air around her and the peace from the place, remembering her own self again how good it was to make a good job. However, it took only a few seconds because someone needed help.

Quickly teleporting close to the place, she saw a big fat bald man beating a smaller one. The scene was awful and merciless and raw violent. Shadow could not stand it. Not something so violent and cruel as the images before her. Nobody will die in such a violent way in her watch.

Teleporting again, she placed herself behind the big man and hit his head with a powerful kick. Taken by surprise, he lets go of the victim, which falls from the floor. Before the aggressor could turn away and beat her, the small woman hit both his ears to confuse his senses and finalized the man with a decisive blow on the back of his neck.

The big bald man fell on his knees, stunned by the surprise. With the path to save the victim cleared, the woman almost leaped near the hurt man. She grasped a handful of the smaller man’s jacket and teleported the two of them to a safer place.

They reappeared in Shadow’s living room. Or should it be Luíza’s living room?

The woman carefully places the beaten and unconscious man in her couch, taking off his jacket and shirt to see the wounds. Signing, she takes her own coat off and folds her sleeves. She had a ton of work to do now. They had beaten the living shit out of him.

There was little light in the room, but she didn’t need much light to see, anyway. Her tattoos, powerful ancient symbols, were shining dimly while their owner was using magic to heal the young man and her light blue eyes seemed to glow with the moonlight. Her movements were precise and she seemed to be completely focused on her task, something that wasn’t completely true.

The magic user was concentrated in her task, it had been too long since she had to heal another person and maybe she was getting a little rusty on that. That may not be good, since now she had a “partner” who had the bad habit of taking too many blows. At least that would a good training, as heartless as it seems…

An hour later, she was done. The man would be able to heal the rest by himself and there would be no risk of his body assimilates too much magic. That would be bad for both of them, since he would become “attached” to her and dependant of her magic. Nope. She doesn’t want that. With another sigh, the small woman wiped sweat from her tanned forehead and undone her ponytail, setting her raven black curls free. Tired, but with one more thing to do.

Using her enhanced strength, she relocates her “patient” in her bed. Yeah, she will need to sleep in her sofa for a while. Thankfully it is pretty comfortable.

The Shadow then takes a quick shower and changes to her big baggy blue pajamas before taking a look at the saved person. She noticed the many tattoos and scars all over his body. She had seen it before: A Ranskahov. She saved a Ranskahov, how nice…

“ _Murdock probably won’t be happy about this_ ”, she mumbled to herself while making way to the sofa. Hopefully she will get some sleep before the Russian wakes up.

As always, Luíza didn’t dream. The closest she had of it was the astral projection. But she knew how important it was to let the body rest. After all, she did promise herself she would take great care of this body, Sara’s body. A body she healed and a body she treasured because it was a precious instrument.

Luíza’s mind started to do that again. Started over thinking about little things again. About her original body, the life she wanted to forget, about her friend Sara, about her best friend Ana, about Matt Murdock, about the man she had just saved…

“ _Oh, Mom… What kind of mess did I just get myself into?_ ” , her spiritual form sighed again. It was interesting how often she sighed...

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**It was another hellish night for Matt Murdock. He have beaten de shit out of mobsters who threatened the lives of the citizens in Hell’s Kitchen. He had gotten punched and kicked almost as much as he delivered blows in his opponents, and those purple/black points hurt quite a lot, making him wince every now and them while “parkouring” back home.**

**After some long minutes, the exhausted vigilante finally arrived his apartment, taking off his black “mask” and throwing it on the couch while walking to the kitchen, craving some beverage to his dry throat.**

**This tranquility was broken when Matt Murdock felt a presence in the living room, standing near his window.**

**That person was strange… It felt oddly foreign and familiar at the same time, like someone he knew has changed the brains or something.**

**His instincts kicked fast, making him almost tackle that odd person.**

**“Who are you? How did you get in here?”**

**“Relax, Murdock, I’ve only come to talk.”**

**He pins her to the closest wall, holding her by her coat collar.**

**“What did you do to Sara?! Your heartbeats are the same, but your voice is completely different form hers!”**

**“If you let me go, we can sit and I’ll explain everything, Murdock.”**

**But he didn’t, so she head butted the man, making him stumble backwards, clearly unprepared. He recovered and punched, aiming her face, but she dodged quickly and slipped behind him.**

**“I only want to talk, Murdock!”**

**He groaned and kicked aiming her middle section, she was able to counter it, but retreated a few inches and dodged more and more punches that Matt was delivering. She fought back as little as possible, since she wanted to show him she wasn’t an enemy.**

**They carried like for more two minutes, until the man was too tired to keep the fight, and started to be countered way more easily by the woman, and didn’t have more stamina to attack. He just stopped moving around, his breaths were labored while the woman seemed to be just fine.**

**“Maybe now we can talk, since you’ve calmed down.”**

**He just grunted in response, heading for the couches**

**They sat there, facing each other, while the man was waiting for the young woman speak.**

**The woman was around the same age as Matt, as expected, since he and Sara were friends in High School, even if they had lost contact after she have gone back to her country. She was short, not too thin or fat. Her body temperature was average and her heartbeat was surprisingly slow for what happened seconds ago.**

**“As you have already perceived, I’m not the Sara you knew when she was an exchange program student, in High School, but I do have the same body as her.”**

**“Yeah, I know that. What I do want to know is: what have you done to her and why.”**

**She signed as if she was a little annoyed with the tone Murdock used. Straitening herself, she looked to the man.**

**“Before I tell the story, I’ll introduce myself to you, Matthew Michel Murdock. You can call me Shadow, I’m a magical being who saved Sara’s life when she was with terminal leukemia back in Brazil.”**

**“But with what cost?! She isn’t here anymore! Sara is dead, even if you claim to have saved her, she isn’t here!”**

**“Will you shut up your mouth so I can explain what happened willingly or will I have to silence your voice for enough time?”**

**Matt visibly backed away after hearing that. She didn’t yell like he did, no, she said in the coldest tone the man had ever heard in his life. Calmness, he mused, was much more terrifying than anger.**

**“As I was saying… I was in a different body when I met Sara. My first “vessel”, as you can call it, was a woman called Ana Carolina Ferreira dos Santos, and we were a team, but I could not stay much longer in her body. If I did, her soul would slip away to accommodate mine. I couldn’t let that happen, Ana was, and still is, my best friend.”**

**“So you saw no problem taking the soul of a stranger, right?”**

**Commented Matt, with lots of sarcasm. He would say more, but was stopped when felt the almost deadly glare coming from the person across him.**

**“*ahem* So, me and Ana started to search for people who were already nearing their end, so the soul would be already slipping off to the Other Side. If we found someone like that, then there would be no problem. After two weeks of search, and some kilometers by car, we met Sara Campos de Oliveira. She was dying of leukemia, had no family left and spent all her money in the treatment, which was seemingly in vain. She was that kind of person who had nothing to lose, but was empty inside, having nothing to life or die for, but still clinging into life like a warrior on the battlefield.”**

**The woman made a pause, studying the reaction of the man in front of her. His jaw was clanged, his hands were balled into tight fists that made the knuckles turn white, his unfocused eyes were shining with unshed tears, his lips were shaped in a grimace. At that moment, he seemed to be with a dozen different emotions at the same time: anger, sadness, mourned disbelief and pain.**

**“When Ana visited her, Sara was surprised, to say the least. We talked to her and with her for another week, getting to know that amazing young woman  was almost being forgotten in the halls of that hospital. After that week, we offered her a deal: since she was going to die soon, I would enter her body, to heal her decease, and be dormant until her soul naturally leaves the body. That way she could enjoy her last days in this life and go with almost no regrets. She accepted almost instantly.”**

**“She always was fast to make choices. Sara wasn’t someone to do much thinking…”**

**The two smiled fondly at the memory they shared about their common friend.**

**“Yeah, she wasn’t… I was dormant during the three last weeks she had of life, seeing thing though her eyes, feeling the things she wanted to feel before and never could. I also have all of her memories, you know, from before we met. On the last of her days, she thanked me for the chance I gave her to make some dreams come true before it was too late. We cried when she started to slip away, she made a promise: to see me again someday, if possible. And she told me one thing.”**

**“What?”**

**“Her last wish.”**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alliance between Shadow and The Masked Man is formed.  
> But now, Luíza has a hardass patient to deal with, aside from her usual missions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy mother of Christ!  
> You guys are amazing!!!  
> I really did belive pretty much nobody would read this fic, but i've got 26 hits (at least the last time I saw it) and one kudo! You wouldn't belive how happy I got after seeing that!!  
> Thank you so much!
> 
> Here's a new chapter, I really hope you guys enjoy it.  
> See you in the end!

I took a day and a half to the Russian wake up. And he was really confused.

Anatoly woke up to a strange room. The ceiling was clan white and the walls were light blue. There wasn’t much décor in the room, but there was huge wall paint near the bed: A bunch of roses.

The eldest Ranskahov was laid in a soft bed, covered with warm blankets… Really warm blankets…

 But… They were all clean and smelled so good!

Then it hit him! He quickly lifts the covers. He still had his pants on!

Relief washed over him. At least his wounds were tended and he didn’t seem to be molested. Whoever saved him did a hella good job patching him up. But… Who?

What kind of person would’ve saved him?

The Russian’s head started to run wild with possibilities. Was his savior old? Young? Male? Female? Gay? Straight? American? European?  A Doctor? A Nurse?

Who.The.Fuck.Was.His.Savoir?

He was so deep in thought that he nearly jumped when he heard a voice:

“I see you woke up.”

The Russian jerked his head up and saw someone at the door. It was a short woman (maybe around 5’2’’) with tanned skin, wild black curly hair, baggy clothes, a tray of food and a… Was that a mask?

Yeah, it was definitely a mask. A black wolf mask at that! Because of that, he could not see most of her face, only her lips and jaw. She seemed to be mysterious.

“How are you feeling?” She asked calmly, with an accent Anatoly had never heard in his life. It was exotic.

Anatoly tried to speak, but his throat was too dry to make any sound.

The woman smiled almost warmly to his attempt and walked to him. Her movements were graceful and fluid, almost like a dancer… Or like a really skilled martial artist.

She slowly placed the tray at the nightstand and then looked at him.

He could not see her eyes because of a white cloth covering them. He was sure she could see him, but he couldn’t see her eyes.

“You’ll need to sit to eat. I’ll help you.”

Her touch was soft, but cold. Anatoly was sore all over his body and was thankful for the help.

His savior gently placed the food tray on his lap and asked if he needed help to eat. The Ranskahov may have wanted to nod and have her nearer for more time, but he still got his pride. He politely shakes his head and picks up the spoon.

As swiftly as she entered, the woman exited the room, leaving Anatoly by himself to eat the good smelling soup.

His instincts kicked in, what if she had putted something weird in the food? He did not know anything about her. What if she worked for Fisk or something? She could be trying to kill him using poison!

There was a glass of water  next to the soup. No signals of drug in the water…

He slowly drank it, taking time to feel anything that could be bad for him. Nothing.

At least he was hydrated now, but he still got no clue if the soup was drugged or not, so he wouldn’t have it.

Searching in his pockets, he found his phone on the usual pocket of the pants.

Hell! He had been out for about a day and a half! Vladmir probably was worried sick with his “disappearance”. The older Ranskahov should call his brother… No signal. Great. Just great!

Around ten minutes later, she came back.

Seeing that the Russian hadn’t touched the soup, got a little confused.

“Weren’t you hungry after sleeping for more than 24 hours?”

She asked, raising a brow under the wolf mask. The man just looked hard at her and almost spitted the words.

“How can I be sure you didn’t put anything weird in the food? I’m not naïve enough to just eat something made by somebody I don’t know nor trust.”

The short woman sighed heavily and face palmed herself in annoyance. If there were something she didn’t stand it was ingratitude.

Looking back at the defensive man in her bed, she had to control herself to not yell at him.

“Listen here, Russian.” Her tone was venomous and controlled. It made Anatoly sit straighter and stiffer. “If I wanted to do anything ‘weird’” She mocked his tone at the last word “I’d have done it in the thirty fucking six hours you were blacked out. If you want to starve, fine! But don’t assume that I would be dumb enough to save your sorry ass just to kill you after.”

A heavy silence fell on the room, Luíza trying to calm down before saying something she would obviously regret and the man starting to feel an idiot.

“I’ll eat… Thank you very much for the food, miss. I’m terribly sorry to be such an inconvenience to you…”

The Ranskahov said in a small voice, but it was enough to please his savior, whose barely visible expression relaxed. She then unfolded her arms and sat at the edge of the bed.

“Apology accepted.” Her accent was a bit thicker than usual, maybe because of the emotional breakout. “Put the bowl and the tray on the nightstand after you finish. I’ll pick then later.” She got up and walked to the door before stopping again and looking at him.

“I’ll go out for a while. Try to sleep as much as you can, it helps your body to heal. I’ll wake you up in your next meal. Bye”

Walking away again, silently and gracefully as always, she left Anatoly by himself.

Feeling much better, he adjusted himself on the bed again, wanting to get some sleep and wondering where that mysterious woman went…

 

Tracking was never something hard for the Shadow. At least not with her “hunting instincts”, like Ana liked to call it.

She was hunting down a man, but it wasn’t for her mission or anything. It was for her new partner, the “masked man” or “man in black”. The hunt wasn’t meant to end with killing or kidnapping (neither liked to work “that way”), but the aim was intelligence and info for an operation.

It was interesting to track down who seemed to be running from something, but at the same time, was clueless about her existence in the dark corners of the city. She was almost smiling out of the fun of hunting, but she had to remain serious and focused of the task at hand.

After all, she did promise that would help him to take down his enemies, as long as he helped her in her missions as well.

It turned out that the man wasn’t running from someone, but to someone! To a drug dealer, to be more exact. Interesting, the “hunt” was involved in more dirty than she had thought.

Stealthily, she moved from a shadow to other until the hooded woman could listen to the conversation… Nothing really important, just “business” and chit chat. Anyway, she got some important Intel about the target. She swiftly exited, going to go back to Murdock’s apartment.

Matt wasn’t there, probably he was working in the office. She quickly wrote about everything she found out that day (in Braille, of course) and took her leave.

As she reappeared in her home, she received a message:

*Sis, my instincts are telling me something big and bad is moving through the dimensions, and you know my instincts never lie. Something bad may happen, so please, be alert. I miss you a lot! Take care of yourself, sis.

F.H*

 

A text from her brother! That was rare, but Luíza was happy to hear from him anyway.

But… The warning wasn’t something to be taken lightly, maybe she should do some research about this “bad” thing. And if that was so dangerous to the point her brother was warning her, maybe she should also warn her best friend.

She decided to call Ana and warn her about the powerful and evil being that could appear anywhere nearby.

“ _Hello, Lú! How are ya doin’?_ ”

“ _Ana! I’m fine, and you?_ ”

“ _Just fine! ‘though I miss ya. Is… Is there a reason you called? It’s not really normal of you to call in the middle of the week._ ”

“ _Actually, Ana, there is._ ”

“ _I’m all ears, Lú._ ”

“ _My brother told me something bad and evil and dangerous may be coming. Neither of us know where the hell he’s going to appear. So I’m calling to make sure ya’ll be safe._ ”

“ _Thanks mate. I’ll get ready and make all those protections you taught me before traveling to the States. Ya don’t need ta worry!_ ”

Luíza smiled at her friend’s speech. Ana is sure something else.

“ _Of course I worry, dummy! You are my bestie. Don’t you dare die or anything of the sort while I’m away, ok?!_ ”

The two just laughed lightly. Holy Mother, Luíza missed her friend. They chit chatted for three more minutes until Ana hung up to go back to work. With all the investigations in Brazil, she must be working 24/7.

It was around 6 PM when Luíza received a call from Murdock, thanking her for the Intel and confirming his participation on her mission the day after tomorrow.

She, then, went to her kitchen and started making dinner while listening to some music, MPB, to be more exact.

While preparing the food, she remembered the moment she and Matt made a mutual help deal…

**\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Matt moved forward, showing interest in what the young woman had to say. “Which was her last wish, Shadow?” “She told me: ‘If you ever meet Matty, tell him I will hug Mr. Jack in his place in the afterlife. I would love to have met him in life, but since I couldn’t, I will tell dad Murdock that he has an amazing son.’ Her soul left this life after that. She must have really missed you, Murdock.”**

**That was the moment when Matt Murdock broke down in tears and sulks. He was sad and happy and angry. Sara… His dear friend Sara who always taught him to ‘see’ the good in everything, to laugh even when you’re almost crying, to value the little moments of peace they had. Now, this same Sara died very far away from him God knows for how long and he only knew now.**

**Yeah, Matthew Michael Murdock was an awful friend, a selfish ass who turned his back and forgot his loved ones. “H-How long…?” “How long what?” The man raised his teary face, like he could see the woman in front of him. “How long have you been in Sara’s body?” “…I… I don’t know if I—“**

**“TELL ME! Please… Tell me…” He said between sobs and more salty tears. Shadow debated with herself whether tell him or not. She sighed and took a deep breath.**

**“Four months… It has been four months since Sara passed away…” Matthew Murdock took a deep breath, trying to stabilize the emotional turmoil inside him… His dear high school friend had died four months ago. And he didn’t even know that she had been ill and forgotten in some corner back in Brazil. What a good friend you were, Matt. Way to go! After minutes of awkward silence, the man in black broke the silence.**

**“So… Did you come here only to deliver this news to me, or there’s somethin’ else?” Shadow slowly walked in his direction. She looked at the vigilante straight in his unfocused eyes and whispered. “**

**I wish we can make an alliance.” “What kind of alliance?” The woman just smiles. “You have your enemies and the objective of freeing this city from corruption. “Matt nodded. “I have missions here, that also help the process of freeing this place, but it is from forces you may understand as supernatural.”**

**She pauses for some seconds, waiting for the man to process the information. “And I’ll need some ‘extra muscle’ in some missions, as you’ll need more information and intelligence for your task.” Murdock sits straight and gives the woman a half-smile. “So, you’re offering a deal. I help you in your supernatural stuff and you help me to bring down my enemies.” “Exactly. Sara was right when she said you’re smart. So… Do we have a deal, Matt Murdock?”**

**She reached her hand and he grasped it. The small hand of a stealth, and mysterious, fighter shaking with the big and calloused hand of a vigilante, who fought like the devil. Hell’s Kitchen had never seen such powerful deal before. And, it’s like they say in Brazil: “Uma mão lava a outra”**

_**One hand cleans the other.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...  
> There're somethings that I need you guys to know about:  
> 1\. I'm still on school (that means I have to study, so I can't write daily)  
> 2\. I'm a senior (I have college approval tests, or how we say it in Brazil, vestibular. That means I have to study even more)  
> 3\. I don't really know if I would be able to write daily or weekly, so I cannot have deadlines.  
> 4\. I'll try to post a new chapter fridays (maybe some sundays) twice a month, so I can try to have some kind of deadline that will be good to everybody.
> 
> Shadow's mask: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e5/b5/fe/e5b5fefe56c018cf334ca0ab92cae45b.jpg
> 
>  
> 
> That's for it now...  
> I hope you guys liked the chapter and I'll hopefully see you again in June 16th!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Q&A session and a hint of the next enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, queridões!  
> How are you guys doing?  
> I'm so happy that the "hits" keeps growing!!! It's a really good motivation to keep writing!  
> Yep, today's post a little bit earlier than it shuld be, but I'm going to travel tomorrow and I don't know if I'll be able to use my laptop there. So, to garantee I'll won't let you guys down, I'll post today!  
> Yay!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!!  
> Yay!  
> See ya in the end!

When Anatoly Ranskahov woke up again, it was night outside. He was still sore from his wounds, but it was a lot better than before.

A good smell came to his nostrils and made his stomach groan. It was time to eat again, and no signal of the mysterious woman.

Slowly, he tried to get up by himself. All of his body protested at the movement and just as he was twisting his torso to get out of the bed, a pair of small hand touched his shoulders, making him stop.

“You’ll only reopen the wounds doing this.” There she was. When the hell did she entered? “I’ll help you, calm down. Jesus, que homem agoniado1!

She helps him stand and gently guides him out of the room. They walk slowly and kind of awkwardly, since he was pretty much taller than her, until they reach what Anatoly believes is the kitchen.

The good smell he felt before was stronger there and pictures of food hang in the white walls of the place.

It was a small kitchen, meant for one or two people. It was all clean, with white walls and floor, black and grey furniture(?) and a small round table. The stove was off and the pans still had smoke, indicating that the food was still hot.

His savior helped him to sit down and when Anatoly realized, they were eating. The dinner was rice, black beans, beef, mashed potatoes and a simple salad. He had never thought of eating all of these in one meal, maybe it was common in her homeland. It didn’t actually mattered, everything was delicious and the Russian ate like he had been starving for weeks.

The woman chuckled at his lack of manners.

“ _At least_ ” she thought “ _It seems he liked my food._ ”

Anatoly, after devouring a gigantic piece of meat, felt surprisingly comfortable with the sort of domestic atmosphere he was sharing with his savior. The woman sited in front of him also seemed relaxed and comfortable during the meal.

When he finished, she took his plate and went to the sink. But, before she started to wash the dishes, she had helped him to go back to the bed.

“Rest. You’re still healing your injuries.”

But Anatoly didn’t want to. He wanted to feel that again, that nice and peaceful feeling he experienced at the dinner. But sometimes, want is not enough. His body needed desperately to rest and heal, just like she said.

The Ranskahov woke up from his nap and saw the woman entering the room.

“Oh. You’re awake. Good.” She approached him and gave him an old cell phone. “Call your brother, Mr. Ranskahov. He is really worried about you.”

Time seemed to stop to Anatoly. She knew he was one of the Ranskahov brothers. She seemed to an ally since she saved him and all, but… If she was indeed an ally, why did she tell him to call Vladmir?

“How can you know that…?”

“The streets are chaos with crazy Russians searching for you.”

The mumbled a thanks to her before starting to dial his brother’s number.

“I’ll be in my workshop, it’s in the room next to this one, if you need me.” She stated “and don’t worry, the walls have acoustic isolation. Have a nice talk.”

With that, she gracefully exits the room, leaving Anatoly to talk with his brother.

Slowly dialing the number, he asked himself if that was her actual phone, or just an replacement one or something.

When his brother accepts the call, the older Ranskahov doesn’t waste time.

“ _Vladmir, it’s me, Anatoly_.”

“ _WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?” Anatoly was not surprised. Vladmir always had the habit of overreacting to everything. “YOU’VE DISSAPEARED FOR MORE THAN A GODDAMN DAY!_ ”

“ _Calm down, brother! I’m alive, I’m in one piece and I’m safe. Calm the fuck down!”_

“ _CALM DOWN MY ASS, ANATOLY! Where. The. Fuck. Are. You?!”_

Why must he have such a problematic brother?

“ _Vladmir, listen. I was saved by a woman and now I’m at her house, ok?”_

“ _And… Where is it? We need to pick you up!_ ”

“ _Being frank, I don’t know.”_

Anatoly could hear his brother sighing and trying to calm himself.

“ _Hell, Anatoly! How can you NOT KNOW WHERE THE FUCK YOU ARE?!_ ”

“ _VLADMIR!” Silence on the other side. The older Ranskahov pinched the bridge of his nose, trying really hard not to yell at his brother, that would definitely bother his savior. “Understand this: I just called to tell ya I’m fine, patched up, fed and all that crap. Stop searching for me like a crazy ass motherfucker! I’ll come back soon and everything will be back to normal. Ok, little brother? Bye_ ”

“ _Wait, wait, WAIT!!_ ” And Anatoly did.

“ _What is it now, Vladya?”_

“ _You said you were saved by a woman, right?_ ”

“ _Yeah…_ ”

“ _So… Is she hot or somethin’_?”

Anatoly sighed at the change of the subject. His brother has always been an womanizer…

“ _To be honest, lil’bro, I don’t know. She always wears a goddamn mask all the time. All I see is her mouth!”_

Vladmir laughed at the other end, but Anatoly could not see what was funny.

They carried on chatting like that for good more five minutes. At least Anatoly’s savior wouldn’t get bothered anymore with “crazy Russians” on the streets.

The man asked himself what was she doing while he was on the phone and decided to check that out. And maybe he would explore the place, it’s always good to know where he was.  The Ranskahov slowly got up, amused by how fast his was healing from his injuries, and started to exit the room.

Now that he was walking by himself, he could really take in his surroundings. The living room was small and airy, with a big opened window and light blue walls. The grey couch was almost the size of a bed and had a square coffee table in front of it. There was a black fluffy carpet under the couch, and a big owl statue near a door on the right. Also, a wolf statue seemed to be watching a door on Anatoly’s left. The walls were decorated with paintings and masks, all very well located so the room didn’t seem packed of visually polluted.

The living room had a calming atmosphere and it was decorated with good and exotic taste. It was the kind of room the Russian liked to be in, but could never have to himself.

The man noticed a faint melody coming from the room “guarded” by the owl, and he concentrated in the sound. It was a light jazz song, kind of familiar but he couldn’t remember where he had heard before.

He decided to follow the sound and walked. The door wasn’t closed and he decided to peek inside. The floor was made of wood with three white walls and one covered in big mirrors. When he took a step in, to look better, he saw _her_.

She was sitting in front of a canvas, gracefully brushing color in the square, placing flowers in the breathtaking scenery painted there.

The soft jazz was playing like a soundtrack for her painting, creating a calm and relaxing atmosphere that seemed to evolve him.

“Was the chat with your brother a good one?” She spoke out of the blue, startling Anatoly. How did she know he was there?

“Y-yes, i-it was.”

“So… No more crazy Russians in the streets?”

Her tone was so light and playful that the man could not refrain a smile.

“No more crazy Russians.”

The two of them chuckled lightly. It seems like they have an inner joke now.

“Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”  The Russian asked, using the light atmosphere as an advantage.

“I wouldn’t. But you must know this: I won’t answer all of them.” She stated, still working on the colorful canvas. “I wear a mask for a reason. You must understand that, Mr. Ranskahov.”

The Russian sighed.

“Ok… I’ll… I’ll try to don’t press you.”

“Good.”

“So…  Um… How can I call you?” Good, a tactical first question.

                She pauses for some moments and says:

                “Call me Shadow. It’s a codename.” Wait… She has a _codename_? What kind of… Never mind. Back to questions.

                “Um…  Where are you from?” She looks a little confused when he asks it and tilts her head, which strangely endearing for Anatoly, asking why he wanted to know that.

                “Just curious… You know—You have a very different accent, and the meal you made me wasn’t American in any way… So I was just wondering—“ The great Anatoly Ranskahov was rambling… Wow… Good thing that his brother wasn’t watching this, he would never hear the end of it.

                “Brazil…”

                “ _What?_ Sorry I…”

“I’m Brazilian. That answers your question, right?”

“Y-yes ir does. Thanks…”

She resumes her painting for some moments.

“Any more questions, Mr. Ranskahov?”

“Yes.”

“Then this will be the last for today. I’ve got some work to do and run some errands. So, think well of what you’re going to ask.”

And he did, millions of questions popped on his head, thousand of doubts running wild in his brain. He decided to let some of them for another time…

“It’s been bothering me for a while, if I may ask…”

“Go ahead.”

“Why… Do you wear a mask near me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like cliffhangers... Do you?  
> Did ya like the chapter?  
> What did ya think?  
> (I hope it's ok)  
> Feel free to coment and see ya, hopefully ate July 1st!  
> Bye <3
> 
> Ps:  
> 1 can be trasnlated to "Jesus, what a impatient man!"  
> It's not really the perfect translation, but it's really close to the meanin "agoniado" has in this contexct.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anatoly awaits for his answer.  
> Shadow and the Man In Black have a job to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, I'm not dead!  
> I'm terribly sorry for not posting last week, but I had completely forgotten I had would be travelling.  
> So yeah, sorry about that...  
> Anyways, here I am (once again/Feeling lost now and then!) (sorry, couldn't resist) and posting a new chapter.  
> I hope you guys like it!  
> See ya in the end!!

“Why… Do you wear a mask near me?”  The Russian asked, staring at the woman in front of him.

One second, which seemed to be an eternity, passed with silence. It was broken when her phone rang and she answered it quickly.

“Oliveira speaking.”

Anatoly was left hanging, waiting for an answer he may never get, while seeing his savior speaking in a serious and professional tone. He didn’t really cared about the conversation. The only thing that got his attention at the moment was  the movement of her lips… Her beautiful lips.  He could see himself closing the distance between them and kissing those lips, tasting her and feeling her warmth again.

“Mr. Ranskahov?” She called him, taking the Russian back to reality.

“Yes?”

“I’ll be out for some time. I don’t know exactly how many hours. So, if I take too long, there’s some food in the refrigerator. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”  The woman took off her strange painting apron and exited the room.

The man went after her, watching almost in a daze as he saw the small woman taking her mask off. Well, he was facing her back, but it’s the thought that counts.

Again, the man was in a state of daze, wanting desperately to touch her, to see her face and… Well, let’s say he had some fantasies running around his head. But, by the time he came out of it, she was gone.

…

                Two figures dressed in black were talking in a rooftop. The taller figure was a man, wearing a mask that covered the top of his head and the smaller was a woman with a big hood casting shadows on her face.

                Those two were tracking down a certain someone. A drug dealer to be more specific. This drug dealer was known as “Serpento”. But, why were the two of them behind him? Well, let’s say that he started to use some obscure forces to eliminate rivals. And that concerned both the vigilantes.

                “Let’s pass the plan again or are you sure you can remember everything, big guy?” She whispered near to the man, who had been quiet for some minutes. “I’m okay, Shadow. Let’s go.”

The masked man jumped swiftly from the rooftop to another until land in the roof of a nice house. He managed to enter quietly in the house by the window, making sure he proceeded without being detected. Being honest, Murdock wouldn’t mind just taking down that guy in the streets, but his partner needed to complete a mission.

                It had been some time since they’ve met and made an alliance, and the man was starting to truly trust in the small woman. She has some strange habits and an unusual feeling, it was probably her mysterious energy. Shadow was a very unique person, but that wasn’t unpleasant at all. In fact, the two were starting to become friends, or something similar.

                Matt had been detected by one guard while going in the basement’s direction. But before the man could deliver a blow, he was knocked down by Shadow. She and her habit of appearing and disappearing out of the blue…

                They nodded at each other and reached the lowest part of the house: the bunker-like basement.

It was a very spacious place, but the atmosphere could not be more unconformable. It was packed with drugs, money, pieces of clothing, dirt, paper and blood. A lot of dry blood covered the floor and even some walls.

“Big guy.” Shadow called Matt in a quiet voice. “Yes?” He answered in the same tone. “Do you smell any fresh blood here?” Her tone seemed cautious, almost hesitant. “No… I don’t. The ‘freshest’ thing here seems to be the money.”

Relief washed over Shadow. “Good. No recent direct killing then. Lets split up. Part 2 starting now.”

The hooded woman crouches on the floor and draws a Perdhrol on the floor. Suddenly, the whole place changes: It wasn’t an empty basement anymore.

It was a secret evil magical arts laboratory packed with all sorts of demons and unholy spirits.

“Big guy?” The woman calls. “Yes?”His voice was a little distant, now that he could feel and listen to the heavy energy surrounding then. “Are you  wearing the talisman I gave you?” she asked while pulling two black magnum pistols from her pocket. The man nodded “Yes, why?” Then, the big man felt the wood carved symbol around his neck pulse a good energy in his body. It was like warm water flowing through his veins and giving him vitality.

“Just to make sure you’re protected. This kind of job requires a little more precaution than most. You know, I don’t want you to be haunted or something after this.” She smiles at his direction, even though she knows he can’t see it. “Also, these are for you. Special demon fighting gear.” Shadows hands a pair of metal plates and brass knuckles carved with Fehus, Uruzes, Thurisazes, Kenazes, Wunjos, Laguzes and  Ankhs.

Matt smiles as he equips the “special gear” and feels the ancient power coming through them. And boy, he liked that.

“I’m going to shoot the possessed object. Are you ready to your first exorcism mission, big guy?”

“I get the feeling I was born ready.”

“It’s probably just the runes, but okay.”

A shot.

A sound of something breaking.

Pieces of metal on the floor.

A hundred demons acknowledging the pair’s presence.

Hell was loose in that basement.

Shadow was shooting madly at everywhere and nowhere at the same time, making evil beings vanish in smoke as each shot hit them on the chest or on the head.

Matt was fighting like never before. The new equipment seemed to give him more luck, more precision, more agility, more flexibility and more strength. He punched and kicked demons like there was no tomorrow and made then turn into smoke with ease.

With adrenaline running wild in their veins, the two became more and more synchronized in the fight.

“HEY!” Shadow shouted at her partner “THROW ME WEST!”

With no time to lose nor to hesitate, the big man catches her hand and throws her in West direction. Shadow flew and landed a perfect flying kick in the face of one of the bigger demons and began to shoot the others again.

After throwing a circular kick on one demon, Matt realized they had managed to wipe out more than half of the evil spirits there. He was supposed to be tired, but he was feeling even more energetic than usual… Was it a magic thing? He had to ask Shadow more about this!

But, as he was thinking about this, a demon caught him from behind. Murdock struggled against the creature’s grasp until it was all gone.

Behind the creature, Shadow used the “Seven Chakras Points” and purified the demon inside out.

“No time for thinking, man!”

They resumed the fighting.

At some point, Shadow replaced her magnums with a Desert gun and shot with only one arm while the other hand drew runes in the air. The atmosphere in the blood covered basement was getting lighter each demon they purified. But it still had much more to be done before Matt and Shadow could get home… It would be a long night…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo...  
> What did you guys think?  
> Pretty cool right?  
> It's been an eternety since I've written such a long fight scene, so sorry if it's not that good.  
> Hehe...  
> See ya!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of a task, a friendship blooming, the begin of a farewell and a new face may appear soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back?  
> Nope, I didn't die.  
> Just a little writer's block, nothing really serious...  
> But, yeah, I'm really sorry for not posting aything, even though it seems more people are reading this story! Yay!  
> Now that I solved the problem, new chapter for you!!  
> Hope you guys like it!!

**“ _So… You’re kind of an exorcist, hum?_ ” Ana asked, while lying down in her bed.**

**“ _I guess you could say that._ ” Shadow smiled at how relaxed was her friend. “ _My missions are not really limited to purifying demos, though. I have an actual role here, so everything I can do to ensure that, I will do._ ”**

**Ana made a thoughtful expression before messing with her afro hair. “ _That sounds a little complicated. Well, your story is a complicated one, for starters…_ ”**

**“ _And whose life story isn’t?_ ” Shadow asked her best friend, who was still on her bed.**

**“ _You got a point,_ mana¹.” A minute passed in silence, with the summer rain pouring outside the window. **

**Eventually, the quietness was broken by Ana’s loud laugh echoing in the lavender walls.**

**“ _What is it?_ ”**

**“ _This whole situation is just bizarre! I mean… It’s kind of me talking to myself, because I’m sharing my body with an immortal alien demigoddess sort of being, about exorcism! How can this get any more surreal?_ ” The two women laughed, but just Ana’s could be heard by everybody. Shadow’s laugh only echoed in the other’s ears…**

 

And the battle continued. Shadow and Matt managed to purify most of the demons in a relatively short time.

They both took out the last one together with an open palm blow.

“Do you follow any religion, Big guy?” The short woman asked, almost out of breath. Good thing she didn’t came alone.

“I’m catholic” The man in black responded.

“Good! Can you do the Lord’s Prayer?”

“Sure…”

“Great!”

Slowly putting her guns back in the coat, Shadow knees on the ground and starts drawing in the dirt, whispering what seemed to be a poem under her breath.

Murdock slowly starts chanting the Lord’s Prayer, feeling an unfamiliar chill run down his spine.

“Our Father, who art in heaven”

A pulse of energy.

“Hallowed be thy Name”

Another pulse.

“Thy kingdom come”

Vestiges of the evil creatures from before started to fade slowly and steadily.

“Thy will be done”

Shadow finished her drawing. An immense Ankh with intricate runes and other symbols glowed gently on the bloodied ground.

“On earth as it is in heaven”

The woman smiles when she sees the light aura surrounding her friend. Good, he was praying with his heart.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Then, she sits in the empty area of the Ankh and starts to draw a sequence (Wunjo, Dagaz, Kenaz and Ankh) various times.

“And forgive us our trespasses”

The place was getting better and better as the two worked to change the energy, once very heavy and oppressing, to a more balanced one.

“As we forgive the ones who trespass against us”

Matt Murdock was felling light and well. Whatever was happening there, it was sure once heck of a spiritual experience. Did Shadow always feel this way when she does her job?

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. 

A huge wave of good energy washes over the basement again, balancing the “good/evil” of forces acting there.

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.”

No more polarities could be felt. The balance was almost perfect.

“Amen”  
           

One last pulse of holy energy.

Silence fell in the basement. Shadow was searching for any kind of energy unbalance while Matt was still a little high from the experience.

           

 

 

“So…” Shadow said with a smiling face “Wanna grab a bite to eat?”

 

 

 

 

After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally came back. Anatoly had been tired of waiting, lying down on the comfortable bed.

But, she wasn’t alone this time… There was a man with her

Since the Ranskahov was in the bedroom, he did not see them, only heard the low conversation. But that was getting into his nerves.

“If you’re looking for alcohol, I’m sorry to tell you, but there isn’t any.”

“So, do you have anything to drink? I’m kinda thirsty from before.”

“Do you like juice?”

They seemed to be so familiar with each other! What does his man has that he, Anatoly Ranskahov, the Russian prince of crime, didn’t have?!

It had been so long since jealousy clawed his chest like it did now. Also, he was really curious about the relationship between his savior and the man she brought home.

Moving carefully and silently, the Russian man approached the closed door and place his right ear. It was a little silent now, probably they were drinking that juice Shadow mentioned.

“So, Shadow.” The man spoke calmly. “Can I keep that gear?”

Wait… She gave him some kind of gear?! Why? Do they fight together or something?!

“Sure, you can… I made that for you anyways.” The woman simply stated, like it was nothing special. “The kind of gear I use is completely different. It would simply be a waste of space to keep it to myself.”

Now Anatoly was furious. She **made** some kind of equipment for that man! Like it was **nothing**! They must be closer than the older Ranskahov thought.

Suddenly, a strange song emerged in the room.

“Sorry, Matt. I need to take this call.”

“No problem.”

Anatoly thanked that phone for ringing.

The thankfulness didn’t last long.

 

Shadow was having a nice chat with Murdock when the familiar tune of Mamonas Assassinas’ “Chopis Centis2” came up. Ana was calling.

“Sorry, Matt. I need to take this call.”

“Ana?” There was concern in her voice.

“ _Lú, you’ve got to help me!_ ” But Ana seemed very worried about something.

“ _What happened?_ ”

“ _Your brother’s here. And he’s in a pretty bad shape. I Don’t have any ideia of what to do! You know I’m not a good healer like you…”_

A heavy silence took place in the room, only being broken by Shadow’s heavy breaths.

Tears ran down her face, distorted by worry over her brother.

“ _Ana… Use the key I gave you._ ” Now, even thought it still had traces of crying, her voice showed resolve.

“ _Are you sure, Lú? I—_ ”

“ _JUST DO IT!_ ”

Matt was startled by the woman’s sudden yell and the intense salty smell of her tears, while Anatoly had no idea of what was happening outside the room.

“ _Please, Ana… Just… Just bring me my brother…_ ” Shadow’s blue eyes were even more teary and her voice was shaking, almost sobbing.

Murdock awkwardly hugged her, knowing she needed comfort. Even if he hadn’t had much knowledge of what made her despair like this, he understood it was about family.

“ _Okay, Lú. I’ll use the key. See ya in a bit._ ”

“Até3…” And the call was over.

The atmosphere was tense and silent.

 

After what seemed to be minutes, Anatoly heard footsteps coming in his direction.

Quickly, the Russian went to the bed and pretended he was asleep. He just hoped that that was convincing… Then, his savior touched him softly and called his name.

Pretending to wake up, he looked at her. She was wearing that so hated wolf mask again.

“Mr. Ranskahov?”

“Yeah?...”

“I need to talk to you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: Mana, in Brazilian Portuguese, can be translated to "sis". It's a very caring way some woman here in Brazil call really close lady friends.  
> 2:Mamonas Assassinas is a Brazilian rock band which was famous for it's funny lyrics and parody-like songs. "Chopis Centis" is a song about a guy talking about the Shopping Center.  
> 3:Até can be translated, in this context, to "see ya" (or any other very informal form of saying bye). This comes from "Até a próxima vez que nos vemos" (Until next time we see each other) and can also be said as "até mais" ou "até a próxima". 
> 
>  
> 
> (Does someone read this part? I dunno...)
> 
>  
> 
> Sooo...  
> Am I mastering the art of cliffhangers?  
> Am I?
> 
> Did ya like the chapter, cuz I liked writing it...  
> See ya soon


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks, a farewell, a friendship and a new face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

 

**The Ranskahov was sitting in the soft bed, analyzing the bandages on his arm. They were clean and perfectly done, but had a strange symbol drawn in each.**

**Could his situation get any weirder?**

**The man signed heavily, slowly running his hands in his blonde hair.**

**“You know…” Said his savior while coming in the room, and making him jump scared “In some cultures they say that you let your happiness escape when you sign.”**

**Anatoly breathes heavily, trying to calm his racing heart.**

**“So what?” Smooth…**

**The woman softly chuckled and placed a tray of food in front of the man. There was a bowl of steaming soup that smelled really good in it.**

**“Well, enjoy your lunch, Mr. Ranskahov.”**

**She got up to leave when Anatoly grabbed her arm.**

**“Wait!”**

**“What is it?”**

**“I… Um… Wanted to ask you something…”**

**His savior turned around to face him.**

**“Eat first. After that, you can ask me anything.”**

**She swiftly left after that, like she had never been there. Was she a ghost of something?**

**Knowing she always meant everything she said, the Russian started to eat his soup, that was delicious btw, and to think what exactly he wanted to ask her.**

**It took good ten minutes to eat everything and he was feeling full and sleepy.**

**She came back.**

**“Are you going to answer my questions now?” As always, direct to the point.**

**“Just a few. I don’t have much time now, so choose wisely.”**

**The man signed heavily again. Too much questions in too little time. Great.  Just great.**

**Then, he shot was had been bothering him all this time:**

 

**“Why did you save me?”**

**“No one deserves to die in such way.”**

**“So… You are saying you saved me out of pity?”**

**The severely wounded man almost yelled in anger, looking at the short masked woman in front of him.**

**“No”**

**She said, really calm, almost like his anger wasn’t intimidating at all.**

**“I saved you because of my morals. I also saved you because I have something called ‘empathy’. I would not like to have my brother killed when someone could have saved him near and did nothing.”**

 

It was dark outside. Anatoly, now fully healed, walked beside his savior: a mysterious woman who called herself “Shadow”. The man did not know exactly where they were, but he recognized a little bit.

Shadow was taking him back “home” after taking care of him for a couple weeks. Now he knew that his actual enemy was Wilson Fisk and it was time to go back to Russia. The USA wasn’t good for neither him nor his brother.

As always, the woman did not tell him what were her motives to do anything and he didn’t know if it was safe to ask.

“Shadow?” He decided to break the silence.

“Yes, Mr. Ranskahov?”

“Can I ask a few questions?”

“Sure”

The older Ranskahov thought for some seconds. They “played” this Q&A game before, since the man always felt really curious about the woman, but she didn’t talk about herself without being asked.

“What do you do—I mean, what’s your profession?”

“I’m a designer, although I always get more jobs as a plastic artist.” She softly chuckles, making the Russian man’s heart flip inside his chest. God knew he wanted to hear more sounds like that.

 

“So… Do you have more family than the brother you mentioned before?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Are they… Um… Nice?”

She smiled again.

“Yes. I love them very much.”

                More minutes passed in a comfortable silence. Shadow was taking in the beautiful half Moon in the sky while Anatoly took in the woman’s figure. He may never see her in those clothes again, but he hoped he would.

                She looked just amazing in that “uniform” she had, all black with a long hooded coat. Mysterious, simple and cool. Very much like the woman herself

                “We’re here.”

                They were in front of Taxi Veles’ headquarters. Anatoly didn’t know if he felt happy to “come home” or sad  because he wasn’t sure if he would ever see Shadow again.

                “Mr. Ranskahov?” She softly called him. “Is there something wrong?”

                “No… Let’s go.” And he started to move towards the door, more confident than before.  As he reached it, he realized that Shadow was in the same spot as before.

                “Aren’t you coming?”

                “No.”

                “Why? My brother certainly will compensate you for helping me out.”

                She simply shook her head. “You are my ally’s enemy. So I won’t be helping you from now on. There’s nothing you could do to ‘compensate’ me.” Then, Shadow turned away, disappearing in the shadows seconds after.

                “ _How the Hell she does that?_ ”

 

                …

                “Are you sure about leaving him like that?” The man in a black mask asked the black coated woman when she joined him in the rooftop. “You could ask them to get out of the city or something.”

                “I’m sure, big guy. The least Anatoly Ranskahov interacts  with me, the better.” She slowly sits in his right and takes to subs from her coat. “Hungry?”

                Matt smiled and nodded in response, the delicious smell of the sub filling his nose.

                The two figures in black ate in the rooftop calmly, while Shadow described the view to the man in a funny and dramatic way, making both laugh and, sometimes, almost choke. It was good to them to have a tranquil time like this, since they’ll have a huge mission afterwards.

                Little did they know they were being watched.

               

…

                Anatoly’s eyes were as big as dinner plates when he saw his savior so at ease by the Masked Man’s side.

                A part of him didn’t want that to be true, but another part of him remembered her words: **“You’re my ally’s enemy”**. So that was what she meant…

                He was sad, but it would pass soon. There was a lot to arrange before getting back to Moscow, since he had finally convinced his brother to do so. Yes, more work would be able to drive Shadow away from his thoughts, even though he would always remember his savior…

                “So, this is the woman, brother?”

                “Yes. The mysterious and strange woman who saved my life for morals and some other thing that has a complicated name.”

                “And… Did you know she was the Masked Man’s ally?”

                “No… It’s a surprise for me too. Well, it’ll be nice to move back to Russia without longing for her and all.”

                “I agree. Also, we’ll have lots of women in our feet in no time.”

“Yeah…”

 

…

The sun rose again in the skies of Hell’s Kitchen, filling Luíza’s apartment with a warm and pleasant light. She was already up, though.

Calmly sitting in her sofa, wearing her favorite blue pajamas and happily drinking black coffee, the woman watched the sunrise with a smile on her beautiful face. It was kind of rare for her to have such a calm morning like this, so Luíza was enjoying as much as she could.

A door opened, breaking the silence.

She turned her head and smiled lovingly at her half asleep brother walking towards the kitchen.

“Bom dia, flor do dia1.” She spoke in a playful tone as the man flopped next to her in the sofa.

“Mornin’, sis…” The man, Fahren, answered while rubbing his pale face. “Ya sure seem happy today.” He commented when noticed the carefree smile on his sister’s face.

“Well, I’m happy that you’re here, my dear brother. I missed you a lot…” She paused to drink a little more coffee “And I’m also really relieved. When Ana called me yesterday, I though you’re dying, but it turned out you were just blood thirsty.”

Different as day and night this siblings were. Shadow was powerful in light, Fahren was a darkness lord. Luíza was always merciful with her enemies, Fahren was a demonic destroyer. She was always honest with people around her, he usually wears a social mask. But, they loved and needed each other, they were two sides of the same coin.

She was Yin and he was Yang, two complementary forces of nature. One doesn’t exists without the other. And they knew it.

“Sorry to have sacred ya, sis.” Fahren slowly lays his head on his sister’s lap. “I missed ya too.” And closed his reddish brown eyes.

Luíza smiles fondly and pats her brother’s brown hair. He purred and she giggled.

After some minutes of silence, the Latin rhythmic of “Despacito” started to play in the black haired woman’s phone.

“Oh! Matty’s calling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So~...  
> Was it good?  
> Was it bad?
> 
> See ya next time!

**Author's Note:**

> If you made until here:  
> YAY!!!!!  
> Thank you so much for reading this!!!  
> If you liked, pleased let me know, so I can continue!  
> Yeah, I guess it's it, then...  
> Hoppefully I'll see ya in the next chapter!!


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